BP on TVhttps://bpontv.wordpress.com
a TV blog by Ben PhelpsThu, 08 Mar 2018 09:48:00 +0000enhourly1http://wordpress.com/https://secure.gravatar.com/blavatar/f04fedefc784ba8782c603b62af400f9?s=96&d=https%3A%2F%2Fs2.wp.com%2Fi%2Fbuttonw-com.pngBP on TVhttps://bpontv.wordpress.com
Top Ten Favorite TV Shows of 2013https://bpontv.wordpress.com/2013/12/17/top-ten-favorite-tv-shows-of-2013/
https://bpontv.wordpress.com/2013/12/17/top-ten-favorite-tv-shows-of-2013/#respondTue, 17 Dec 2013 05:05:24 +0000http://bpontv.wordpress.com/?p=623Continue reading →]]>
Welcome back! BP on TV has been dormant for a while, but the wave of year-end Best Of lists inspired me to dust off the blog and share my own collection of favorites from the year. (Note: I haven’t watched everything, so series like Orphan Black, Rectify, and Top of the Lake were necessarily left off here, but they are on my To Watch list!) So click through to read my picks, and share your thoughts below.

1. The Good Wife (CBS)

For its first few seasons, The Good Wife was basically the last network drama standing in the major Emmy categories — it was nominated twice for Outstanding Drama Series, and Julianna Margulies won for Outstanding Lead Actress in 2011 — but it seems to have fallen out of favor with the Academy, for whom “Quality Drama” is now apparently found only on cable. All of which is to say, it’s a shame, because not only was this the show’s best year, but it was also the year’s best show. After creators Robert and Michelle King rightfully dumped the dead-weight storyline that was Kalinda’s husband in late 2012, the legal procedural was as thrilling as anything else on TV (and certainly more so than a purported thriller like Homeland). The dynamic initially set up in season four’s “Red Team/Blue Team,” pitting Alicia and Cary against Will and Diane in a mock trial exercise, became permanent, bringing with it inter-firm politics, personal and professional feelings of betrayal, and the cast’s best performances across the board. The show balances episodic and serial plots like no other, and while not everything this season entirely worked (Marilyn didn’t inject much energy into Peter’s governorship; the “Grace is hot” plot was a fairly lazy way of giving the kids something to do), those are ultimately small quibbles. 2013 saw an explosion of new programming and distribution methods, but it’s the most “traditional” looking show — on CBS no less! — that was my #1 favorite of the year.

2. Game of Thrones (HBO)

Game of Thrones would probably have made the list based purely on visuals — its enormous budget is all on the screen, making it a great series just to look at — but thankfully it had the other elements to back it all up. Season three continued to expand the world, while also delving deeper into its existing characters (it made us care about Jaime Lannister!), and culminating in the horrifying Red Wedding that highlighted the futility of the political struggle for the Iron Throne. With multiple threats emerging from Beyond the Wall and opportunistic backstabbers waiting at every turn, Game of Thrones continued to show that power only begets the desire for more power, leaving just two options: perpetual dissatisfaction or death. My only complaint (other than the seemingly endless torture of Theon Greyjoy, but hey, gotta keep Alfie Allen under contract) is that with only 10 episodes, the season felt like it was over before it even began.

3. Breaking Bad (AMC)

If Breaking Bad had ended with “Ozymandias,” it probably would have been my #1 pick. As is, with a finale I liked but didn’t LOVE, it dropped a couple spots, but was still unquestionably one of the great shows of the year. The pacing was relentless, the acting as Emmy-worthy as ever, and it ended with the conversation we’d been waiting to hear for years: Walt admitting to Skyler (and himself) that his criminal enterprise was never actually about his family. Although Heisenberg was perhaps undeserving of catharsis (or his string of other accomplishments in the just-a-little-too-neat finale), it allowed the audience to say goodbye to Vince Gilligan’s magnum opus as it cemented its place in the pantheon of all-time great dramas.

4. Orange Is the New Black (Netflix)

It would have been hard to predict that Netflix’s best show this year wouldn’t be the one starring Kevin Spacey and directed by David Fincher, or the highly anticipated revival of a beloved comedy, but rather the one set in a women’s prison whose most recognizable cast members were “The girl from That ’70s Show” and “The guy from American Pie.” Yet here we are, with Orange Is the New Black easily out-ranking House of Cards and Arrested Development on my list, as well as most other shows, period. What began as a fish-out-of-water story — yuppie white girl gets sent to prison, has to deal with the eccentrics she’s now locked up with — quickly morphed into something else that proved much more satisfying. Yes, Piper stayed at the center of the story, but though the guards made a point of dehumanizing the inmates, the series excelled at exploring the humanity in them all, with richly-written characters brought to life by a talented ensemble that proved the storytelling benefits of racial, sexual, and gender diversity.

5. Hannibal (NBC)

Like Game of Thrones, this was another gorgeous series, yet unlike the HBO epic (where killing is necessary to gain or maintain power, and even major characters are expendable), Hannibal was a slow, meticulous, psychological rumination — and it was fascinating. Mads Mikkelsen was chilling as the eponymous Dr. Lecter, erasing any associations with Anthony Hopkins’ iconic performance, and he had a more-than-capable partner in Hugh Dancy, who injected Will Graham with just the right balance of brilliance and instability. Though frequently gory and disturbing — one episode involved a serial killer who made “wings” out of his victims’ skin — everything was done with such purpose and beauty that it was impossible to look away.

6. Scandal (ABC)

I caught up on the entire series this fall, in time for the third season premiere, so what would have been fast-paced even when spread out over a full season felt that much faster condensed into a week or two. Even considering only those episodes that premiered in 2013, we’re still talking about (SPOILERS) the President miraculously recovering from an assassination attempt, that same President murdering a Supreme Court justice, David Rosen learning the truth about the rigged election, Olivia being outed as the President’s mistress (then successfully covering it up), the explosion and quick implosion of Josie Marcus’s presidential campaign, Sally Langston murdering her husband after he sleeps with James, and the big reveals that Eli Pope is the man behind B613, Mellie was raped by Fitz’s father, and Olivia’s mother is alive and a mercenary spy to boot. It’s a crazy amount of plot to churn through, and though I don’t think the B613/Remington stuff worked as well as an over-arching plot as the Defiance arc did last year, by and large they pulled it off, which is a huge credit to Shonda Rhimes and her writers, as well as the whole cast. At the rate it’s going, it feels like Scandal could veer off the rails at any moment, but that feeling also made it one of the most entertaining and addictive shows to watch this year.

7. Masters of Sex (Showtime)

If nothing else, Masters of Sex has given us some of the best performances of the year: Played by any other actor, the prickly, emotionally distant, work-obsessed Dr. William Masters would be unbearable, yet Michael Sheen imbues him with just the right level of vulnerability so as to elicit at least some measure of sympathy; Lizzy Caplan brings to Virginia Johnson both the confidence and the eagerness that make it so clear why Bill desires her; and Beau Bridges and, particularly, Allison Janney, have made the Scullys the show’s secret weapons, displaying years of emotions with the smallest gestures. Plot was less important than character and theme, and the series moved self-assuredly to communicate its ideas on feminism and sexuality. Though it could veer into heavy-handedness at times, the acting and subject matter made this one’s debut season a real (ahem) pleasure.

8. Bob’s Burgers (Fox)

I could be forgetting a dud storyline, but I can’t remember a bad episode of Bob’s Burgers; I can say with 100% certainty that there has never been an episode that hasn’t made me laugh out loud at least a few times. This year, Bob’s just kept building on what it had established over the past couple seasons, which meant not only more terrific jokes, but also a willingness to mix up settings and character pairings, now that the Belchers have become some of the most well-defined characters on TV. This understanding of their characters has also allowed the writers to play with stock sitcom storylines to expert effect — the basic premise of most episodes is generally familiar, but the humor derives from how these particular characters act, leading to a specificity that couldn’t be mistaken for any other show.

9. The Mindy Project (Fox)

This is where I note that I purposely titled this list “Favorite Shows” and not “Best,” because The Mindy Project was nowhere near one of the 10 best TV shows of the year. They still didn’t know what to do with half the cast, the episodic plots were more miss than hit… And yet, it was still the comedy I looked most forward to watching each week, because it’s hilarious. It’s sort of taken over the 30 Rock slot in my mind: Mindy and Danny are the Liz and Jack, whose relationship (admittedly heading somewhere more romantic) provides an emotional grounding for the show, allowing them to then pack in joke after joke after joke. Like Tina Fey, Mindy Kaling finds the humor in self-deprecation and also doesn’t worry much about fleshing out her supporting cast (save Adam Pally, who’s proven a good addition), because that’s easy to forgive when even the throwaway one-liners are so funny.

10. Shameless (Showtime)

Truthfully, I almost forgot Shameless even aired this year, as it was so long ago that I watched a new episode. But promos for the new season jogged my memory, and the more I thought about it, the more I remembered how much I enjoy watching the whole Gallagher clan. I could have done without the return of Karen, and the stuff with Kev and Veronica and her mom was more cringe-worthy than funny, but that’s just what Shameless is. Moments like Carl shaving Frank’s head in the hospital, or Fiona’s speech in court (seriously, Emmy Rossum is so great, yet so overlooked), prove how difficult it is to balance the tone of this show, but also how good the writers are at doing so.

HONORABLE MENTIONS

The Americans (FX): A great Cold War drama that doubled as a great exploration of marriage, anchored by terrific performances from Keri Russell, Matthew Rhys, Noah Emmerich, and Margo Martindale.

Justified (FX): The Drew Thompson mystery probably dragged on for an episode or two longer than it needed to, and the show continued to waste Rachel and Tim, but it’s still hard to have anything less than a very good season with Timothy Olyphant and Walton Goggins at the center.

Trophy Wife (ABC): Despite the tongue-in-cheek title and unfortunate scheduling (ABC isn’t doing this one any favors), Trophy Wife has been the comedy highlight of the fall season, coming straight out of the gate with a grasp on every character (minus Natalie Morales’s Meg) and an all-around great cast.

Mad Men (AMC): Don Draper sank to new lows, impulsively spearheading a merger then almost immediately losing all interest, and his forced suspension leaves an intriguing question mark hanging over the final season.

Arrested Development (Netflix): After all those years and endless rumors of a new movie/show/ANYTHING, it would have been impossible for the Netflix revival to live up to expectations. And it didn’t. But it was still very good (a few bad episodes, but also a handful of great ones), taking full advantage of the possibilities offered by the streaming platform and resisting the urge to simply fall back on old jokes.

New Girl (Fox): If I weren’t considering season three, New Girl would have easily made the top ten list; the 2013 portion of season two was as strong as anything on TV. This fall’s run, though, has struggled with the Jess/Nick romance, Schmidt’s ruse of a love triangle, and Winston in general. Worse than plot issues, though: it hasn’t even been funny.

American Horror Story (FX): Again, if I were only judging the first half of the year, AHS would make my list for Asylum, which was completely crazy, but also maintained a level of gravitas amidst the murderous Santas, the Name Game sing-alongs, and the Nazi doctors. But, alas, this year has also included Coven, which seems to be trying to say something profound about oppression, race, and feminism (I think?), but is really not pulling it off.

A Chef’s Life (PBS): I probably wouldn’t even know about A Chef’s Life if it weren’t for the fact that I work at PBS and watched it as part of my job, but this documentary/reality/cooking show hybrid is a real gem, capturing the drama of a new restaurant, the richness of small-town North Carolina life, and the deliciousness of Southern cooking.

Biggest Surprise: Sleepy Hollow (Fox)

When Fox announced this crime procedural starring a Revolutionary War-era Ichabod Crane who has been awoken in modern day to fight the Headless Horseman (who happens to be one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse), it sounded like a joke, and honestly still kind of does. But Tom Mison as Ichabod and Nicole Beharie as local cop “Leftenant” Abbie Mills have great chemistry, and, most importantly, the show is aware of its own craziness, meaning it’s actually fun to watch.

Biggest Disappointment: Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (ABC)

The flip side to Sleepy Hollow was this attempt at corporate synergy on ABC. Joss Whedon’s initial involvement had us all excited, and why shouldn’t a Marvel series work on TV? But talk about lack of self-awareness — there are zero compelling characters, played by mostly dull actors, in completely boring case-of-the-week plots. It’s a bad show, made worse by its wasted potential.

]]>https://bpontv.wordpress.com/2013/12/17/top-ten-favorite-tv-shows-of-2013/feed/0benphelps1Top Ten Favorite TV Shows of 2013thumbs_The-Americans-Season-1-Poster-1MV5BMTgzNjQ4NjM1NF5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwNzQ4OTEzNw@@._V1_SX640_SY720_American Horror Story recaps | BP at GMMRhttps://bpontv.wordpress.com/2011/11/03/american-horror-story-recaps-bp-at-gmmr/
https://bpontv.wordpress.com/2011/11/03/american-horror-story-recaps-bp-at-gmmr/#commentsThu, 03 Nov 2011 14:41:58 +0000http://bpontv.wordpress.com/?p=612Continue reading →]]>Hello again! I’m sorry to say grad school has become a bit busier now that the semester is in full swing, and I’ve barely had time to keep up with watching TV, let alone writing about it, too. Thus, BP on TV has regretfully been pretty slow lately, but I hope to get back to regular blogging when I can.

That said, I have been writing weekly recaps of American Horror Story over at Give Me My Remote. The show is by no means great television, but it’s captivating, entertaining, and unique, to say the least. I’ll tweet the links every week once the article goes live, but you can also find all of them here on my author page. Hope you enjoy, and feel free to comment on the reviews over at GMMR!

]]>https://bpontv.wordpress.com/2011/11/03/american-horror-story-recaps-bp-at-gmmr/feed/2benphelps1american-horror-story-featuredSons of Anarchy | “Brick”https://bpontv.wordpress.com/2011/10/05/sons-of-anarchy-brick/
https://bpontv.wordpress.com/2011/10/05/sons-of-anarchy-brick/#commentsThu, 06 Oct 2011 03:04:05 +0000http://bpontv.wordpress.com/?p=603Continue reading →]]>There was a new episode of Sons of Anarchy last night, so get your contingencies in place, and click through for my brief review of “Brick”…

Everyone is telling lies: Potter to Roosevelt about keeping his involvement on this case a secret; Lyla to Opie about her birth control; Bobby to Otto about taking out Georgie; Gemma to Clay about the letters; Juice to the club about his racial background and working with the sheriff. Pretty much all of those lies are understandable, since the immediate alternative to them probably sounds much worse. But, as we know, dishonesty tends to only make things worse for SAMCRO, and with all these lies piling up, they’re going to have to come crashing down at some point, and when that happens, nobody is going to be happy.

The stakes are definitely being raised all around this season, and I like the way the tension is building. However, this episode fell a little flat in that very little happened in the way of new developments. Some individual choices were made that will affect what happens down the line (see: all the lies, above), but “Brick” was more of a placeholder/stage-setting episode in the bigger scheme of things. On some level that’s necessary, since the show can’t be all action all the time, with zero build-up. But it’s also a bit frustrating when nearly every storyline and character involves big lies that don’t yet lead anywhere. Some are character-driven and thus make sense (Bobby lying to Otto out of guilt over his involvement with Luann), but others are plot-driven or at least lack clear motivation (Juice risking so much to help Roosevelt) that it seems like Kurt Sutter just needed to stall so he could have everything start unraveling at the same time closer to the end of the season.

While that’s certainly an understandable motivation, I just wish some of the decisions in “Brick” could have felt a little more organic and in-character. If the “action” for the week is going to be moving things into place, at least have the characters doing things for reasons that are more clearly laid out and that we better understand. JUST having Potter continue to be his enigmatic self, or JUST having Lyla not wanting to get pregnant, or JUST having Gemma continue to withhold the truth about JT’s letters — that would be one thing. But all of those happening in the same episode, and at the expense of much else of other plot developments — that’s a bit much to be happening without any explanation. But, like I said, if everything boils over at once a few weeks down the road, that’s going to be a good stretch of Sons of Anarchy, one I expect will make this all worth it.

Bits & Pieces

Real-life husband and wife Kurt Sutter and Katey Sagal got to share a scene this week, when Gemma went to visit Otto in prison.

David Hasselhoff guest starred as the new porn director/producer, who was mentored by Luann. I’m guessing we’ll be seeing more of both him and Tom Arnold now that the Sons plan to use Georgie’s Japanese investor friends to scuttle Hale’s Charming Heights development.

Potter really wants to remain a secret around Charming. Last week he told Gemma he was a city planner and told Otto he was the sheriff, and this week he continues to have Roosevelt do the negotiating with Juice. Is he just being extra careful, or is there more to his behind-the-scenes-only approach?

It’s still unclear, at least within the show’s world, why the risk of being outed as black is greater than the risk of working with the cops for Juice. I know his plan wasn’t to steal a whole brick of cocaine, but even a few grams would have surely been noticed, and we’ve seen how the club deals with rats.

Opie and Lyla just got married, but things are already going off the tracks for them. Hope they can work it out; don’t want to see Opie lose another wife.

What did you think of “Brick”? Was there enough plot development or did things seem stilted to you? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

]]>https://bpontv.wordpress.com/2011/10/05/sons-of-anarchy-brick/feed/1benphelps1SOA_405-sc38_1324Sons of Anarchy | “Una Venta”https://bpontv.wordpress.com/2011/09/29/sons-of-anarchy-una-venta/
https://bpontv.wordpress.com/2011/09/29/sons-of-anarchy-una-venta/#commentsThu, 29 Sep 2011 21:24:53 +0000http://bpontv.wordpress.com/?p=597Continue reading →]]>I’m a little past due on this one, but it’s been a busy week and I just got around to watching Tuesday night’s Sons of Anarchy. So become a member of the Gold Circle Club and click through for my review of “Una Venta”…

The Sons obviously don’t like to think of themselves as the bad guys. In their minds, a lot of what they do is because they “don’t have a choice,” as a SAMTAZ member so succinctly put it — they have to be violent and move guns and drugs because that’s the only way to keep the club and their families alive (often literally, considering what people like the cartel would do if they didn’t make good on their deal). But at some point, that rationalization isn’t going to be enough. Clay might think there’s a moral difference between muling and dealing, but Bobby sees that there’s really no difference at all. Once SAMCRO gets its hands on the 30 kilos of cocaine, their new business venture becomes very real, and the semantic technicalities of their involvement don’t much matter: They’re in the drug business with a big-time Mexican cartel. Period.

“Una Venta” built nicely on what had been established over the first three episodes of the season, when all the new players and conflicts were being introduced, but not a lot was happening. This week didn’t explode in plot developments, but it moved most of the major stories along so it didn’t seem like anything was being stalled or avoided. The cartel partnership is a done deal, Piney continues his search for some leverage against Clay, Potter gets the intel he needs to rebuild a RICO case, and the Charming Heights development is still being opposed, now by a prominent citizen in the form of Roosevelt’s wife.

Where the show can stumble most frequently is in its standalone plots, but whereas last week’s involving the stolen guns was pretty silly, this one did a good job of tying back to the bigger themes of what SAMCRO is dealing with. SAMTAZ may have gotten into the drug business under false pretenses, but now that they’ve had a taste of the money it brings them, they vote to keep it going, even if the original vote was only due to betrayal and death within their own charter. They promise of new cash flow is what got Clay hooked on the idea of running coke in the first place — once the funds start coming in, might it be enough to change Bobby’s mind?

It looks like things are going to get worse before they get better, but as long as the Sons have agency in their own turmoil (as opposed to the way they were acted upon by SAMBEL and the IRA in Belfast), I’m excited to be along for the bumpy ride.

Bits & Pieces

Where was Opie this week? On his honeymoon, or did he just stay behind with Kozik and Happy and whoever else didn’t make the trip?

Clay’s arthritis is getting worse by the day. I figured his stepping down as President wouldn’t come for a while, but it would certainly be interesting to see how the show and the club function without Clay at the head of the table.

I was curious about the revelation last week that Juice was half black, and why that would matter to the club. Kurt Sutter wrote a blog post about that, basically saying that “The fact is that most of the bigger MC’s do not have African American members.” I don’t know much at all about motorcycle club culture, so I guess I take him at his word on that, but I do think he misses the mark when he claims, “I can honestly say that none of the guys I know in the life are racist.” They certainly “function within a structure that is built upon a form of segregation,” as he says, but acceptance of such a segregated system is a tacit agreement with the status quo. Just because they may not be bigots does not mean they aren’t operating and benefitting from a racist structure, and I think there needs to be some more recognition of the inherently uneven power dynamics within a club built on that structure. In any case, I’m interested, if a little bit hesitant, to see how this storyline plays out.

What did you think of this week’s SoA? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

]]>https://bpontv.wordpress.com/2011/09/29/sons-of-anarchy-una-venta/feed/1benphelps1295484CSI: Crime Scene Investigation | “73 Seconds”https://bpontv.wordpress.com/2011/09/23/csi-crime-scene-investigation-73-seconds/
https://bpontv.wordpress.com/2011/09/23/csi-crime-scene-investigation-73-seconds/#commentsFri, 23 Sep 2011 14:00:08 +0000http://bpontv.wordpress.com/?p=592Continue reading →]]>On Wednesday night, CSI kicked off its 12th season in a new timeslot and with a new lead, so get out of your octopus tub and click through for my brief (although probably not 73 seconds-brief) review…

I haven’t been a weekly CSI viewer for a while now (strangely, the last episode I watched was “Man Up,” which also featured a guest star turn by Carrot Top), and “73 Seconds” probably won’t get me to put it back on my regular viewing schedule.

That said, I enjoyed the addition of Ted Danson and the way his D.B. Russell is already shaking up the Vegas Crime Lab dynamic. As I wrote in my recent Give Me My Remote piece about shows replacing their lead actors this season,

… [After original lead William Peterson departed,] as much as the loss of Grissom hurt, the lack of a strong replacement hurt even more. Once [Laurence] Fishburne arrived on the scene, CSI seemed to turn into the “Ray Langston Show,” devoting the majority of screen time to the brooding former pathologist, despite his rookie investigator status. Not only did the show lose sight of the rest of the ensemble, but it also became much darker and more serious, robbing the already dark show (it is, inherently, about crime and murder) of its lighter moments.

It seems like Danson has already infused a necessary dose of levity to the aging series, but what’s nice about it is that he’s not trying to be the office funny guy. He takes his job — both as a crime scene investigator and the night shift supervisor — very seriously, and wants to get his team to get back to being “scientists” rather than “social workers.” But the way Danson plays him gives Russell a real sincerity and warmth, where you can like him as a brand-new character even moments after he berates Nick for a late report.

Russell’s new leadership is also causing friction between Catherine and Nick, who have long been friends and close co-workers. They easily get emotionally attached to cases, but since that approach led Catherine to be demoted, she’s insisting on a “by the book” method now, and it will be interesting to see how the tensions ripple out to affect the rest of the lab.

The cases themselves were nothing special — the octopus sex stuff was very strange and really had no relation to the larger case, while Sara and Greg’s was very tangential and forgettable — but after eleven years, fresh ideas are probably hard to come by. At least now they have a more compelling lead and some new character dynamics to make up for the more boring procedural aspects.

Bits & Pieces

Elisabeth Harnois also joined the cast full-time as Morgan Brody, Ecklie’s daughter. Greg obviously has a thing for her, but I don’t think her father would approve.

Seriously, what was the octopus sex all about? And why did Hodges seem to know so much about it?

What did you think of the premiere of CSI? Did you like the addition of Danson/Russell? Are you missing Fishburne/Langston?

]]>https://bpontv.wordpress.com/2011/09/23/csi-crime-scene-investigation-73-seconds/feed/2benphelps1ted-danson-csi-fall-2011Modern Family | “Dude Ranch”/”When Kids Go Bad”https://bpontv.wordpress.com/2011/09/23/modern-family-dude-ranchwhen-kids-go-bad/
https://bpontv.wordpress.com/2011/09/23/modern-family-dude-ranchwhen-kids-go-bad/#commentsFri, 23 Sep 2011 04:03:47 +0000http://bpontv.wordpress.com/?p=588Continue reading →]]>Fresh off sweeping the comedy Emmys, Modern Family returned last night for its third season, so grab your cowboy hat and click through for my review of the special double-header.

I really liked Modern Family in its first season. The show kicked off with a near-perfect pilot, and from there used a great cast and some more modern techniques (single camera, mockumentary style) to tell what were, essentially, standard sitcom stories. Even if the plot beats were familiar, they had just enough of an edge to them to keep them from getting boring, and the results were a delight to watch. Although I thought Parks and Recreation was truly the best comedy that year (its second season), it wasn’t even nominated, and so I certainly didn’t begrudge Modern Family for its first Outstanding Comedy Series win (especially since it meant keeping Glee from a win for its first season).

Things started to change during the second season for me, though. Every week seemed like yet another variation on the “Sustained Misunderstanding” trope, to the point where I was rolling my eyes more than I was laughing. And nothing against a very funny Sofia Vergara, but I also found the use of Gloria to be increasingly problematic, as she was increasingly racialized, with seemingly every joke revolving around her “rough Colombian upbringing” and her hilarious accent that nobody could understand! But it made sense for what was really just an old-fashioned sitcom dressed up to look new — they could be with the times and have a diverse cast (in terms of race/ethnicity, age, gender, sexual orientation), but then undercut any supposed “progressiveness” with jokes at the minority characters’ sake.

So how are things going so far in season three? Well, I still really enjoy spending time with these characters, and the show still makes me laugh, but if the first two episodes are any indication, I have some big reservations going forward.

To start, the writers really need to dial back both Claire and Mitchell. I know Julie Bowen just won an Emmy, but Claire so regularly comes off as shrewish that it’s difficult to have any sympathy for her. This was especially an issue in “When Kids Go Bad” — the whole family was kind of unfairly going against her, but the extreme measures she went through to prove she was right just came off as pathetic rather than funny. Claire as overly controlling and bossy has been entertaining before, but it’s becoming her only character trait, and it’s running out of steam fast. Mitchell’s problems run along similar lines. I’m pretty sure all he did during the two episodes was whine and complain nervously, and while I understand he’s stressing about the idea of adopting another kid, Jesse Tyler Ferguson is very capable of playing more than selfish and insecure about his “manliness.”

And that’s where my biggest problem lay this week. I’m not sure what TV writers think is happening in society and why a supposed “crisis in masculinity” is such a hot topic this season (see: Last Man Standing, Work It, Man Up!), but the trend has apparently rubbed off on the Modern Family crew, and it’s more than a little troubling. At the end of last season, we saw Cameron and Mitchell say they wanted to adopt a baby boy, and now that Lily is a toddler, I think there’s a lot of potential (which they’ve already started to explore) in dealing with bringing another child into their home. I see no potential in stories revolving around Mitchell’s lack of manhood, though. Not only do they serve to normalize stereotypically masculine behavior (characterized in these episodes as shooting guns, blowing up things, and even catching water bottles, among other things), but since it’s Mitchell, they also serve to equate homosexuality with a lack of masculinity. I know Cameron sort of disproves this, since he’s into “manly” things like sports, but when all Mitchell does is complain and worry and talk about Broadway musicals, it’s hard not to draw a line between his gender and his sexuality. Modern Family isn’t necessarily the most nuanced show — it closed out both episodes with its trademark cloying warm and fuzzy voiceover, just to make sure we understood the moral of the story — but topics like these deserve nuance, and really shouldn’t be approached without it.

All that said, there were parts I liked of each episode. The dude ranch trip was a good way to have the whole extended family together at the start of the season and offered some good physical gags, especially with various characters on horseback. The Jay and Phil stuff was sweet, and Dylan’s proposal to Haley was treated comedically enough that it didn’t seem as weird as it probably was (and it’s too bad if that’s actually the last we see of him). Alex’s first kiss was pretty random filler and the guide hitting on Gloria was just creepy, but with so many subplots being juggled, the success rate was pretty good.

I probably liked the second episode more, if only because it didn’t rely on a contrived big event that would have felt more appropriate during sweeps. As I discussed above, I wasn’t a fan of Claire’s behavior throughout, but I enjoyed that the whole family just naturally came together at the end, and Cameron’s practice and execution of the “low key” reveal of their big news was hilarious. The thematic through-line of kids learning bad behavior from their parents was a little heavy-handed at the end, but it worked well to tie everything together and give some more context to why these characters are who they are.

All in all, a so-so start to the new season. There are a lot of strong elements, and, as always, a more than capable cast, but there are also enough problematic areas that the rest of the season could really go either way. We’ve seen in the past that Modern Family is capable of being great, but it seems to be settling for merely “good,” and with all the Emmy validation, I just fear they won’t see the need to fix what, in their eyes, isn’t broken.

Bits & Pieces:

As great as the adult cast is, I think the kids are what holds it all together. Nolan Gould and Rico Rodriguez, in particular, are so funny, but Sarah Hyland also continues to bring something more to Haley than just the surface-level bitter teenage stuff.

Speaking of the child characters, Lily has been recast as a three-year-old. She doesn’t really look like Baby Lily, but she’s cute, and it should give Cameron and Mitchell some more story possibilities.

Dylan telling Claire that, if Haley weren’t his girlfriend and Phil were out of the picture, he’d be “honored to raise Luke, Alex, and Haley as his own” — funny or creepy?

“Buffalo Phil… worth the wait.”

Great montage of Cam coddling Lily, especially when she’s standing outside the shower holding his hand.

What did you think of the two-part season premiere? Do you share my concerns, or are you still as big a fan as in season one? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

]]>https://bpontv.wordpress.com/2011/09/23/modern-family-dude-ranchwhen-kids-go-bad/feed/2benphelps1MODERN-FAMILY-Dude-Ranch-When-Good-Kids-Go-Bad-Season-3-Premiere-12-550x367The Show Must Go On | BP at GMMRhttps://bpontv.wordpress.com/2011/09/21/the-show-must-go-on-bp-at-gmmr/
https://bpontv.wordpress.com/2011/09/21/the-show-must-go-on-bp-at-gmmr/#commentsWed, 21 Sep 2011 23:57:26 +0000http://bpontv.wordpress.com/?p=583Continue reading →]]>Today for Give Me My Remote, I wrote an article looking at the various shows that are losing a lead actor this season (The Office, Law & Order: SVU, Two and a Half Men, and CSI), who’s coming in to replace them, and what the historical context is for such shake-ups.

]]>https://bpontv.wordpress.com/2011/09/21/the-show-must-go-on-bp-at-gmmr/feed/1benphelps141577_40281729162_3384336_nSons of Anarchy | “Dorylus”https://bpontv.wordpress.com/2011/09/21/sons-of-anarchy-dorylus/
https://bpontv.wordpress.com/2011/09/21/sons-of-anarchy-dorylus/#commentsWed, 21 Sep 2011 17:29:54 +0000http://bpontv.wordpress.com/?p=573Continue reading →]]>There was a new Sons of Anarchy last night, and I have a review right after the jump.

The episode’s title literally refers to the army ant genus Dorylus, which, according to Wikipedia, can contain over 20 million individuals per colony and whose members rely on their “powerful shearing jaws.” They travel in gigantic marching columns and have been known to consume people who get in their way. We saw what I presume are Dorylus ants on the Native American reservation, granting to the Russian prisoner the slow death the Gods desired.

Metaphorically, though, SAMCRO was its own Dorylus colony, with Clay the lead soldier. Their food supplies (cash reserves) were drying up and they needed to find their way to a new source, so — with or without everyone’s approval — nothing was going to stop Clay from running those drugs. The irony, though, is that pushing a “Yes” vote through to get to the new income source may be exactly what starts the slow death of the MC.

As we saw in season two, Sons of Anarchy works best when it focuses on conflict within the club, rather than on external pressures, and the drug running issue promises to be an even bigger problem than when Jax and Clay were butting heads amidst Zobelle’s planned takeover of Charming. Now, Jax and Clay are ostensibly on the same side, and that’s helped them win over some members (Opie, Kozik) who were on the fence, but when the truth comes out that Jax is planning to leave SAMCRO and Charming altogether, things won’t turn out well.

In fact, pretty much the whole episode was based on lies. Jax lied to Opie about taking over when Clay steps down. Tara lied to Gemma about JT’s letters (even if Gemma saw right through it). Juice has apparently been lying the whole time about being (at least half) black, which sounds like it could have major consequences. Clay’s “word” is the weakest, though, as he lied to the Native Americans about the rate they’re charging the cartel for ammo, and also to Bobby about wanting him to have the President patch when he’s done (although, with the amount of lying Clay’s doing, maybe he was telling Bobby the truth, and has just been lying to Jax the whole time about letting him go and giving Opie the promotion). I don’t necessarily doubt Clay when he says he’s doing everything for the good of the club, but there’s also clearly a lot of greed at play, and coupled with the lies, it sounds like a recipe for disaster.

The political matters of the club were definitely the more gripping parts of “Dorylus.” The missing gun plot was fine, but could have easily been avoided if Kozik hadn’t been that stupid, and thus ended up seeming like a pretty contrived way for the rest of the MC to keep busy. And the stuff on the side — Gemma and Unser, Tara and Margaret, Roosevelt and Juice — was good, but was more set-up than anything else. Now that the drug issue has been voted on and SAMCRO is getting deeper in bed with the cartel, though, the rest of the season should be verryyyyy interesting.

Bits & Pieces:

When Clay told Tara, “I love my son. As much as I loved his old man,” was that a threat? If we’re assuming JT’s letters indicate Clay had something to do with his death, I’d be a little uneasy if I were Tara.

I’m happy to see Juice finally getting his own storyline. And I’m quite interested to see why his racial identity would be that big a deal to the club. SAMCRO seemed to hate Darby and the other white supremacists as much for their ideology as their competition, and they have no problem with Juice being Hispanic…

Knowing what we now do about Margaret, her warning to Tara that “Longer can very easily turn into forever” actually carries some weight.

What did you think of last night’s episode? How are you feeling about the season so far? Weigh in with your own thoughts in the comments!

]]>https://bpontv.wordpress.com/2011/09/21/sons-of-anarchy-dorylus/feed/4benphelps1SONS-OF-ANARCHY-Dorylus-Season-4-Episode-3-550x41763rd Primetime Emmy Awards | Post-Show Round-Uphttps://bpontv.wordpress.com/2011/09/20/63rd-primetime-emmy-awards-post-show-round-up/
https://bpontv.wordpress.com/2011/09/20/63rd-primetime-emmy-awards-post-show-round-up/#commentsTue, 20 Sep 2011 13:30:00 +0000http://bpontv.wordpress.com/?p=564Continue reading →]]>The 63rd Primetime Emmy Awards were handed out Sunday night, so in the 24-hour news cycle, they’re old news at this point. But since I posted my hopes and predictions that afternoon before the show, I wanted to do a quick follow-up to evaluate my prognosticating skills and to share some brief thoughts on the winners and losers.

I got off to a pretty bad start in my predictions, going 0-4 in the comedy acting categories. A win last year and having hosting duties this year didn’t help Jane Lynch, as she lost out to Julie Bowen of Modern Family for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series. I would have personally preferred her co-star, Sofia Vergara, but Bowen does fine work on Family, and the faults with Claire Dunphy lie more in the writing than the acting. Mr. Dunphy, Ty Burrell, then walked away with Outstanding Supporting Actor, making it clear that Modern Family would be a dominant force throughout the night.

Emmy’s love for Modern Family was already pretty well known, though. What was more surprising were the wins (and, thus, losses) in the comedy lead acting categories. Steve Carell lost out on his final chance for an Emmy for playing Michael Scott, and the award instead went to repeat winner Jim Parsons for The Big Bang Theory. And capitalizing on her star turn in Bridesmaids this summer, and in the process squashing the streak of non-comedic Showtime actress wins, Melissa McCarthy won for Mike & Molly (even though the award should have, hands down, gone to Amy Poehler).

Overall, the comedy awards — also including wins for writing and directing for Modern Family — were, if not completely predictable (obviously, since I predicted none correctly), unsurprising. The lead actor/actress were more disappointing, but nothing came out of left field.

But then the drama categories mixed things up. Big time.

Jason Katims won for Outstanding Drama Writing for penning the Friday Night Lights finale — a big upset, considering it was up against Mad Men‘s “The Suitcase,” which was generally agreed upon to be the best episode of television this past year. I love Mad Men, but this was an extremely welcome win for the criminally underwatched and underrecognized FNL.

Margo Martindale and Peter Dinklage won Outstanding Supporting Actress and Actor, respectively, and while I predicted their wins, part of it was just wishful thinking, since the fields were quite strong in both categories.

Julianna Margulies won for Outstanding Lead Actress for The Good Wife, earning the statue that most predicted was going to be hers last year.

And then, in what most (including me) thought would come down to Jon Hamm and Steve Buscemi for Outstanding Lead Actor, Kyle Chandler — Coach Taylor himself — took home the gold for FNL, in a win so unexpected he didn’t even prepare a speech, thus inadvertently forgetting to thank both his on-screen wife Connie Britton and his real-life wife and kids (the audio had been cut by the time he remembered). Hamm gave a hell of a performance in “The Suitcase,” but I’m pretty sure the only thing that could have made me happier than Chandler winning is if Britton had gotten to accept her own award moments earlier.

With two big upset wins for FNL, Outstanding Drama Series was actually a bit uncertain, right up until Mad Men was announced for the fourth year in a row. The Emmy logic doesn’t quite make sense to me (Mad Men wasn’t good enough to win any acting, writing, or directing awards, but was still the best overall series?), but the ultimate winner was truly the best drama series of the year, even if it gets boring to have the same name called year after year.

And although it was decidedly NOT the best comedy series of the year (that distinction goes to Parks and Recreation), Modern Family walked away with the top comedy award, in a win that was apparent from the time the first award was announced (if not even before the show).

So after a rough start, I ended up 5-10 in major category predictions, which isn’t too shabby. And since I struggled most in the comedy categories, next year I’ll know: always err on the side of Modern Family.

Did any wins particularly shock you? Any egregious snubs? Were you as happy about Kyle Chandler’s win as I was? Share your thoughts in the comments section below!

]]>https://bpontv.wordpress.com/2011/09/20/63rd-primetime-emmy-awards-post-show-round-up/feed/4benphelps1125599963_1_a_l63rd Primetime Emmy Awards | Hopes & Predictionshttps://bpontv.wordpress.com/2011/09/18/63rd-primetime-emmy-awards-hopes-predictions/
https://bpontv.wordpress.com/2011/09/18/63rd-primetime-emmy-awards-hopes-predictions/#commentsSun, 18 Sep 2011 20:18:45 +0000http://bpontv.wordpress.com/?p=529Continue reading →]]>The 63rd Primetime Emmy Awards will be handed out tonight, during a ceremony airing on NBC and hosted by Glee star (and Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy nominee) Jane Lynch. Just in time for the show, then, I’ve put together a list of my predictions for who will win, as well as my hopes for some upset winners.

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series

Julie Bowen, Modern Family

Jane Krakowski, 30 Rock

Jane Lynch, Glee

Sofia Vergara, Modern Family

Betty White, Hot in Cleveland

Kristen Wiig, Saturday Night Live

Lynch won last year, and although Glee now works much better without Sue Sylvester, Emmy inertia can’t be underestimated. However, it would be nice to see a win for Vergara, who was consistently great in what I thought was an uneven second season overall for Modern Family. Plus, it would mean a win for one of the few nominated actors/actresses of color.

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series

Christine Baranski, The Good Wife

Michelle Forbes, The Killing

Christina Hendricks, Mad Men

Kelly Macdonald, Boardwalk Empire

Margo Martindale, Justified

Archie Panjabi, The Good Wife

I hate to admit it, but I still haven’t watched Justified. That doesn’t mean I can’t predict a win for Martindale, though, since everything I’ve read about her performance this season indicates that the nomination was the hard part, and the Emmy is now hers to lose. Panjabi has a good chance, too, though, since she won last year for her terrific work on Good Wife, and Hendricks would also be more than deserving.

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series

Ty Burrell, Modern Family

Chris Colfer, Glee

Jon Cryer, Two and a Half Men

Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Modern Family

Ed O’Neill, Modern Family

Eric Stonestreet, Modern Family

Emmy clearly loves Modern Family, nominating every adult regular this year, even though it meant stuffing this category with four actors from the same show. That could mean some vote splitting and a win for Colfer (who would deserve it) or Cryer (who probably wouldn’t), but I’m going to say the MF love is great enough that one of the four will win it. My money is on O’Neill, who wasn’t even nominated last year, and will get a trophy tonight to make up for it.

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series

Andre Braugher, Men of a Certain Age

Josh Charles, The Good Wife

Alan Cumming, The Good Wife

Peter Dinklage, Game of Thrones

Walton Goggins, Justified

John Slattery, Mad Men

This is a strong category, and pretty much any one of these actors would deserve the prize. I’m going to predict a win for Dinklage as Emmy’s way of recognizing the grand achievement Game of Thrones, since Boardwalk Empire has HBO’s more prominent support and will likely keep GoT out of play in the bigger categories. His portrayal of Tyrion Lannister was appropriately humorous, but Dinklage also layered in emotion and depth to a part he was made to play.

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series

Edie Falco, Nurse Jackie

Tina Fey, 30 Rock

Laura Linney, The Big C

Melissa McCarthy, Mike & Molly

Martha Plimpton, Raising Hope

Amy Poehler, Parks and Recreation

In my mind, Poehler is far and away the most deserving nominee in this field. As Leslie Knope, she grounds Parks and Rec and is, frankly, hilarious. But Linney is a film actress doing strong work on a Showtime series, and even if it’s a comedy in name only, she should expect to walk away with the award tonight.

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series

Kathy Bates, Harry’s Law

Connie Britton, Friday Night Lights

Mireille Enos, The Killing

Mariska Hargitay, Law & Order: SVU

Julianna Margulies, The Good Wife

Elisabeth Moss, Mad Men

Margulies was the favorite last year, and then Kyra Sedgwick swooped in for the win. This year, Sedgwick wasn’t even nominated, so Margulies should be able to take home the gold (and if she does, she’ll deserve it). Of course, Moss was also incredible in Mad Men this season, going head-to-head with Jon Hamm in “The Suitcase.” But I’d really love to see Britton win for her work on the final season of FNL, as a recognition of five amazing seasons as Tami Taylor.

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series

Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock

Steve Carell, The Office

Louis C.K., Louie

Johnny Galecki, The Big Bang Theory

Matt LeBlanc, Episodes

Jim Parsons, The Big Bang Theory

Baldwin is always great as Jack Donaghy, but he has several wins under his belt at this point. Louis C.K. has shown his acting ability on the terrific Louie, but a lot of the achievement there is also due to his writing, directing, editing, etc. No, after seven seasons as the world’s best boss, Carell deserves this one — and not just as a career achievement award. He was given strong material throughout the farewell arc, and Carell nailed it consistently, marrying the sweet with the silly and making us realize how much we’re really going to miss Michael Scott.

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series

Steve Buscemi, Boardwalk Empire

Kyle Chandler, Friday Night Lights

Michael C. Hall, Dexter

Jon Hamm, Mad Men

Hugh Laurie, House

Timothy Olyphant, Justified

Once again, any one of these actors would deserve the Emmy, and now that Bryan Cranston is out of contention for the year, they all have a shot. But my prediction is that, after winning Outstanding Drama Series three years in a row, Mad Men will finally add an acting award to its mantle. Jon Hamm has given Don Draper the deep, necessary layering since day one, but last season he let the facade crumble, only to build it right back up again, and his submission episode (“The Suitcase”) was a masterclass in acting. My personal pick, though, would be Chandler, as a recognition of his five years of work as the greatest high school football coach of all time.

Outstanding Comedy Series

30 Rock

The Big Bang Theory

Glee

Modern Family

The Office

Parks and Recreation

Last year, it was a toss-up between Modern Family and Glee, and Modern Family ended up winning. This year, Glee was all over the place, and with six acting nominations for the Family cast, it seems like a pretty safe bet that the ABC sitcom will repeat. It’s a shame, though, since Parks and Recreation is, by far, a better show, and deserves some high-profile recognition here.

Outstanding Drama Series

Boardwalk Empire

Dexter

Friday Night Lights

Game of Thrones

The Good Wife

Mad Men

Matt Weiner’s period drama is an Emmy juggernaut, and even HBO’s flashy Martin Scorsese-backed Boardwalk Empire won’t stand in its way for the biggest prize of the night (though if there were a series to unseat the incumbent winner, it’s Boardwalk). Pretty much anything, perhaps Dexter, would be deserving of the prize, and it would be great to see Friday Night Lights go out on top, but it’s hard to imagine a year that Mad Men is eligible and doesn’t win.

Do you agree with my predictions? And, regardless, who do you think should win when the names are announced tonight? Share your thoughts in the comments section below!